Ball throwing game apparatus



Oct. 28, 1969 v J. D. BRESLOW ET AL 3,474,771

BALL THROWING GAME APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29. 1967 United States Patent O 3,474,771 BALL THROWING GAME APPARATUS Jeffrey D. Breslow, Evanston, and Marvin I. Glass,

Chicago, Ill., assignors to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 11]., a partnership Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 686,560 Int. Cl. F41b 7/00; A63c 65/12 US. 'Cl. 124-16 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to games of the type which involve a race between participants in accomplishing a particular task. In the present instance, there is provided apparatus for automatically propelling a plurality of colored balls from a receptacle. Each participant is assigned a particular color of ball and is given a bucket or the like for collecting his particular balls. The first player to successfully retrieve all of his colored balls is the winner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Game apparatus comprising a receptacle, said receptacle having a side wall and a bottom and being open at the top, a generally horizontal, movable platform within said receptacle, means within said receptacle for holding said platform in an upwardly biased position substantially below the level of said open top, and a spring wound timer mechanism beneath said platform including a part operable to release said platform from its biased position for movement upwardly in the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus showing the main receptacle for initially receiving all of the colored balls and showing one of the smaller receptacles used by each of the players;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main receptacle;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken generally along the lines 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The game apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a main receptacle or bucket of suflicient size to hold a plurality of balls 12, which are preferably of the size of Ping-pong balls, and four smaller receptacles or cuts 14 to be used by the individual players. The balls are provided in different colors, preferably at least four of each color, and are of light weight plastic or the like. referably each of the smaller containers or cups is colored to correspond to the color of one of the various sets of balls. The main receptacle or bucket 10 includes a false bottom or platform portion 16 which is adapted to be spring-biased and latched in position at ice an intermediate portion of the bucket. A spring wound mechanism 18 beneath the platform is operable to provide a continuous ticking noise for a predetermined length of time and then operates to trip the latch mechanism, so as to propel the platform upwardly and eject the balls from the bucket. At such time the players scramble to retrieve their assigned colored balls.

With reference particularly to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, it is seen that the main receptacle 10 is in the form of an open-top bucket and includes a frusto-conical side wall 20 and a bottom portion 22. At the center of the bucket there is secured a vertically extending member 24 which is generally cross-shaped along most of its length but is provided at its upper end with a knob-like member 26 having a conical side wall surface. The generally circular platform member 16 is slidably positioned on vertical member 24 through means of a cross-shaped opening 28 in the center of the platform. The upper surface of platform 16 is preferably inclined upwardly from its center for a reason to be explained later. The elongated ribs on the vertically extending member 24 are notched inwardly at an intermediate position therealong, as indicated at 30, so that the platform 16 can be fixed in position along member 24 by a slight turning movement of the platform as it is positioned adjacent the notches 30. The bottom of the platform has fixed thereto one end of a coil spring 32 which encircles the lower portion of member 24, and the lower end of this assembly is fixed in position within a vetrically extending boss 34 formed on the bottom of the bucket. When the platform 16 is depressed and locked in position within the notches 30 on member 24, the coil spring 32 is sufliciently compressed so that upon release of the platform from such notches spring 32 will rapidly drive the platform to its uppermost position, indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. Such movement will propel the balls 12 supported on the platform outwardly from the bucket 10. Furthermore, the inclined upper surface of the platform and the disposition of the cone 26 cooperates to give an angular motion of flight, relative to vertical, to at least some of the balls being ejected from the bucket.

In order to provide for an automatic ejecting of balls from the bucket in the described manner, there is provided the timer mechanism 18 within the bucket. This mechanism includes a metal supporting frame 36 (FIG- URES 3 and 4) having aligned openings in opposite walls thereof to receive a main shaft 38 and three additional shafts, 40, 42 and 44 which support elements of a gear train and governor. The main shaft 38 projects outward- 1y through the side wall of bucket 10 and includes a knob 46 for winding the mechanism. A coil spring 48 is wound around main shaft 38 and has one end fixed to an abutment 50 on the supporting frame. The other end of spring 48 is fixed to or otherwise frictionally engages an arm 52 secured on the main shaft. Keyed to main shaft 38 is a segmented gear 54 having its toothed portion in position for engagement with a pinion gear 56 rotatably mounted on second shaft 40. Also fixed to second shaft 40 is a larger gear 58 engaging a pinion 60 on the adjacent shaft 42. This latter shaft also includes a star wheel 62 adapted to be engaged by a bifurcated element 64 having its midportion disposed on shaft 44 for rotation relative thereto. The inner end of main shaft 38, projecting outside of frame 36, has fixed thereto an arm 66 which is movable with segmented gear 54 into a position of striking engagement with a boss 68 formed on the bottom side of the movable platform 16. Preferably, the free end of arm 66 is formed with a separate section 70 which is hingedly connected to the arm by means including a spring 72 which has its opposite ends fixed to the main part of the arm and to extension 70. The latter arrangement provides for cushioning of the force exerted as arm 66 strikes boss 68.

The winding of knob 46 on the main shaft 38, clockwise in FIGURE 3, creates a tension on coil spring 48 and places one edge of segmented gear 54 in position for a driving engagement with pinion gear 56, as indicated in dotted line in FIGURE 4. Such winding movement also places the latch releasing trip arm 66 initially in a generally horizontal position, as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 3. As the knob 46 is released, segmented gear 54 then moves counterclockwise (FIGURE 4) under the biasing action of coil spring 48 to drive the gear train. The speed of movement of the gear train and arm 66 is, of course, controlled by the bifurcated element 64 and star wheel 62 which serve as a speed governor for the gear train. As the segment 54 continues to move counterclockwise and subsequently out of engagement with the pinion 56, arm 66 moves to the full line position shown in FIGURE 4 and strikes the boss 68 on the platform 16. This latter movement causes the platform to rotate sufticiently to bring its center opening 28 out of engagement with the notches 30 and in general alignment with the ribs on member 24, and the coil spring 32 pushes platform 16 upwardly, as previously described, to eject the balls 12 from the bucket. In the play of the game the bucket is preferably placed on a relatively hard supporting surface, so that the balls bounce around if they are not immediately caught.

Although shown and described with respect to particular mechanism, it will be aparent that various modifications might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus comprising an open top receptacle, 2. generally horizontal, vertically movable platform disposed within said receptacle, spring means within said receptacle for releasably holding said platform in an upwardly biased condition below the level of said open top, and a spring-wound timer mechanism beneath said platform, said mechanism having means for winding its spring, a part operable to actuate said means within said receptacle to release said platform for upward movement, and self-driven delay-action means set into motion automatically when said spring commences to unwind and continuing in motion until such means subsequently after a period of time operates said part.

2. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a. vertically extending member positioned at the center of said receptacle, and said platform includes a central opening therethrough for slidable engagement with said member.

3. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said "means for biasing said platform comprises a coil spring encircling said vertically extending member beneath said platform, and said member is provided with a transverse notch which is engageable by the central opening defining portion of said platform when the latter is moved downwardly in said receptacle in compressing relation to said spring.

4. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said platform is provided with a downwardly projecting part on its underside, and said timber mechanism includes anarm which is released for movement into striking engagement with said projecting part as said mechanism completes its cycle of operation, whereby said platform is moved sufficiently to become disengaged from said notch in said member and move upwardly under the force of said spring.

5. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said platform has a generally convex upper surface portion, and said vertically extending member is generally coextensive in height with said receptacle and is provided at its upper end with an enlarged section which is frustoconical in shape and has its larger diameter disposed at the top of said member.

6, Game apparatus comprising an open top receptacle defined by a continuous side wall and a bottom wall, a post member fixed at one end to the central area of said bottom wall and extending upwardly to a position adjacent the level of the open top of said receptacle, a platform mounted on said post for relative vertical movement, spring means interposed between said bottom wall and said platform, cooperative latch means on said post and platform which is operable to releasably hold said platform at a level substantially below the open top with said spring means biasing said platform in an upward direction, a plurality of balls supported on said platform with the latter in its latched position, and a spring-wound timer mechanism in said receptacle below said platform including a trip arm operable to release said latch means after said mechanism has been caused to run for a period of time, whereby said platform moves upwardly and propels said balls from the receptacle.

No references cited.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner WILLIAM R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

